What do you think will happen when you mess with fire? Do you think it's worth the pain? Mira feels it just might be. Her strong feelings for her best friend's brother have always been there since they were kids. Life has always had them moving towa...
"When I said something easy to heat up, you really went the opposite" Nadine's wry reply is justified as she eyes the bags spread on the kitchen counter.
"I'm not complaining, I love it when you cook for me honey" Jackson jokes blowing a kissy face at Elias.
"It's not like you're the one making it. I'll clean up before I go don't worry" Elias rolls his eyes.
"And what exactly are you making for us then?".
"Don't you have a show to watch or something?" Nadine gets pushed out of the kitchen, snatching a bottle of wine off the counter at the last second.
"Hey wait, share that bottle!" Jackson's voices fades as he chases after Nadine. That's my signal to make my way out too.
Elias turns to me, excitement clear on his face. "Not you, you stay and help me".
"Listen, you've known me for years. I'm better off being the taste tester"
"Oh no you don't" His hand grabs my arm before I can fully back out of the kitchen doorway. "It'll be fine I'll give you instructions and this isn't that hard of a recipe, you can't mess it up"
"You underestimate me Elias"
"You doubt me, dear" he winks at me as he hands me one of Nadine's aprons. "Start by peeling the garlic and chopping it into small pieces"
My mind buffers trying to understand what that even means. Elias breathes a puff out of his nose realizing he's got his work cut out for him. He shows me how and I slowly peel the papery skin off of them, making a pile while he gets ready to cook chicken and bacon. "So much garlic".
"Less building with the garlic and more cutting" Elias' whisper startles me after several minutes.
"Excuse me, but this is my garlic house I made, I can't just break it"
Elias unamused face convinces me it's for the better good and I begin chopping all my hard work up and handing it off to Elias to cook with the chicken.
"Alright just break up this bacon into small pieces while I make the sauce and cook the gnocchi" A plate is slid in front of me.
"What if I wanted to make the sauce, not chop more things?" I grumble.
"Well is that what you want to do?" He tilts his head observing my reaction.
"Well it'd be more fun than chopping. I'm feeling like karate kid over here".
"Okay" he nods and puts his hand on the small of my back, guiding me to the stove that has butter and more garlic cooking in a pan. "The first step is cooking your vegetables. Dump the onion and mushrooms I cut up" he hands me two bowls that I dump into the pan. One by one he explains every ingredient going in and why we are. If cooking was like this every time I wouldn't mind doing it. This moment of us together making this dish feels intimate, domestic. I can see him coming back from practice, and me from the office as our older selves, bonding over a stove, discussing our day together. "The sauce looks great, but first we have to do something" Elias gets a spoon and dips it into the sauce in the pan and brings it to my face, his hand cupped under it in that classic "trying to not make a mess" gesture. His eyes are boreing equal parts expectant and nervous into mine as he licks his lips to moisten them. He blows gently on the spoon before bringing it to my lips to try. My eyes watch his own for a reaction as I taste it. They twinkle and a broad smile shows on his face.
"That is amazing, did we really do that?". I wipe my mouth with a finger, Elias' watching me, his broad smile dropping into a more serious face. His hands reach like they're finding home and familiarity and wrap around my waist as he brings our bodies together.
"Don't think we won't be talking about our time together in that dark closet Mira, and how you ran away. I couldn't sleep until Nadine told me you were home and in bed when she got back". His warm breath against my ear causes goosebumps to flush along my shoulders and neck. "Do you often go to the library at night? He whispers, startling me.
"Can't a girl be a little evasive?"
A chuckle rumbles from his chest, vibrating my own. "You can try if you'd like, it won't matter" Elias shrugs his shoulders and he threads his hand in my hair and wraps his arm all around my back. I really have to stop saying my thoughts out loud. My breath leaves me in a soft gasp, being surrounded by the smell of him.
"Why does the kitchen smell like dad's chicken and gnocchi?" Nadine's voice carries near the kitchen doorway as we jump apart. I quickly start stirring the sauce, chicken and vegetables all together, hiding my face.
"That's because it's what I made, I mean what we made" his voice turns gentle at the end.
Nadine's mouth opens but no words come out. She puffs out a laugh and shakes her head. "Funny how you made the same thing dad made mom for their first meal. Maybe we should start calling it the peacock meal". Confusion shows on my face until I processed the first thing she said. I'm left feeling lots of things. Elias' next words are quick to knock all those mixed feelings down to one. Disappointment.
"It's cold as fuck out, who wouldn't want this instead of frozen pizza?".
"Whatever you say" Nadine's sing-song voice answers.
"Can we just eat already?" My voice snaps.
"Maybe you should have had a snack while you made dinner Mira, you're getting hangry" Nadine stuffs a piece of bread in my mouth while filling her plate.
"Did you want me to make you a plate?" Elias asks.
My eyes shoot lasers at Nadines retreating back while ripping the bread from my mouth. "No I can manage" I say curtly while making my own and filling a tall glass with wine.
"Well, if you're offering" Jackson begins to hand his plate to Elias.
"Walk away Jackson" Elias doesn't even look at him while making his own and leaving the room.
"What's Mr. Grumpy's problem now?" Jackson asks me. My only response is leaving him by himself in the kitchen. As I sit at the dinner table with Nadine and Elias, we all hear Jackson's dramatic shout from the other room "What is going on in this house?!"
"So did you figure out the date of your grandmother's birthday dinner?" Nadine says.
"Oh yes sorry I forgot to tell you it's on November 10th, I think a Saturday".
"Great! I'll make sure to take time off work" Nadine chirps while taking a bite of food. Elias is watching us, feeling left out of the details.
"Is it your dad's grandmother?" He asks.
"No, my mother's" I force a smile.
"Ahh" His understanding eyes know all too well, and I kind of hate it.
"What's the big deal? Sounds like a fun time and there's cake" Jackson obliviously muffles out while stuffing his face with his food.
"Shut up Jackson" Nadine and Elias say in unison.
This dinner continues with a stench of awkward. Finally Elias and Jackson leave after Elias kept his word of cleaning everything. I mean Every. Thing. I was ready to kick them out after he started restocking my counter jars. The stress I feel finally disappears in the comfort of bed.
"Now where were we?" I open my book and return to the moment where I was rudely interrupted before.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
